Class: Social studies; fourth grade Date: March 6, 2019

Unit: The United States in Spatial Terms Lesson Title: Physical Characteristics of the United
States

Content Standards (GLCE):

● 4 – G1.0.2: Identify and describe the characteristics and purposes of a variety of geographic tools and
technologies.
● 4 – G1.0.3: Use geographic tools and technologies, stories, songs, and pictures to answer geographic
questions about the United States.

Lesson Objectives:
● Students will be able to make inferences about the geography of the United States based on a map
● Students will be able to illustrate major physical characteristics of the United States.

I Can Statement
● I can illustrate major physical characteristics of the United States

Relationship to Unit Structure:

● This lesson is a part of a larger unit on geography of the United States in spatial terms. Students will
have already learned about questions geographers ask and the relative and absolute location of the
United States. Now, they are exploring the geography more specifically, looking at the natural
characteristics of the United States. This will be built on throughout the unit, and students will explain
the geography of the United States at the end of the unit, including its physical characteristics.

Instructional Materials:
● Google Slides presentation:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KeUzqiTcAAiT9KZA4jPCU4xuZIACGpgsBkX-
yHMqidc/edit?usp=sharing
● Desk maps
● Dry erase marker for each student (30)

Methods and Instructional Strategies

Introduction ● Refer back to the “Questions Geographers Ask” sheet from lesson one
● Review theme of place and definitions for physical and human characteristics
5 minutes ● “What are some examples of physical characteristics in the United States?”
○ River, lakes, canyons, peninsulas.. Etc
○ What does this tell us about the geography of the United States?
■ Students respond to the question. Guide them to the fact that the United States
includes a wide variety of physical characteristics and its geography is very
diverse

Instructional ● Divide students into pairs (Plan pairs ahead of time to ensure both can help the other to be
Activities successful)

Lesson modified from Oakland Schools:

https://oaklandk12-
public.rubiconatlas.org/Atlas/Develop/UnitMap/View/Default?BackLink=1260378&UnitID=13483&YearID=2019&CurriculumMapI
D=111&SourceSiteID=2599
 ● Project digital relief map on board (slide 6)
30 minutes ○ Students will work together to list inferences about the geography of the United States
based on the map
○ Possible responses:
■ Western US is mountainous
■ There is a large mountain range in the eastern US
■ Central US is flat
■ High area in the south central US
■ Large valley between the mountains in the west
● Hand out the outline map (attached below)
○ Guide students in labeling the major landforms east to west (generally- not specific)
● “It’s hard to see deserts on a digital relief map”
○ Show map of deserts (slide 14)
○ Students sketch outlines of the deserts on the relief map
● “Now, take a couple minutes to circle any lakes you see with your markers on your desk
maps”
○ Discuss the names and locations of lakes
● “Now outline with your markers some of the rivers you see on your map”
● “The United States has over 250,000 rivers which total around 3,500,000 miles. The Missouri
River is the longest, but the biggest in terms of water volume is the deeper Mississippi River”
Review the following with students (Slides 18-19)
○ Rivers provide food, drinking water, irrigation, transportation, electrical power,
drainage, and recreation.
○ Rivers can erode the land and carry it downstream to the sea. This type of erosion can
create canyons like the Grand Canyon and waterfalls like Niagara Falls.
○ A river system is made up of a river and its tributaries. A tributary is a stream or river
that flows into a larger stream or river
○ The Mississippi River system includes many tributaries such as the Missouri River,
the Illinois River, and the Red River.
○ A drainage basin is the land drained by a river system.
○ The Mississippi River system drains most of the land between the Rocky Mountains
and the Appalachian Mountains, about 40% of the U.S.
● Have students draw the Mississippi River on their paper copy of the digital relief map

Wrap Up ● “We just discussed, pointed out, and drew many different physical, or natural, characteristics
of the United States”
10 minutes ● “Let’s read our ‘I Can’ statement again together”
○ I can illustrate major physical characteristics of the United States
● “Look at the paper map we’ve been filling out throughout this lesson. Were be able to
illustrate physical characteristics of the United States?”

● Exit ticket: On a half sheet of paper, explain what a physical characteristic is and give
examples of physical characteristics in the United States.

Differentiation According to Student Needs:

● I will wear the personal amplification device for my student with hearing loss
● I will provide multiple forms of input (descriptions and pictures on the presentation, individual maps
for students to use as well as the ones on the screen)
● There are opportunities for personal thinking and writing, partner sharing, and whole class discussion
● I will use proximity and check in with my students who need it to ensure they are following along and

Lesson modified from Oakland Schools:

https://oaklandk12-
public.rubiconatlas.org/Atlas/Develop/UnitMap/View/Default?BackLink=1260378&UnitID=13483&YearID=2019&CurriculumMapI
D=111&SourceSiteID=2599
 understanding
● Students can explain their learning from the lesson in any way they choose
● Students who need it may have extra time to complete the exit ticket at the end
● Student pairs will be created so students can help each other and learn from each other to assist and
enrich understanding at all levels

Assessment:
● Formative: I will walk around while students are circling things on maps and ask follow up questions
to gauge their level of understanding. I will also use group discussion and interaction with partner
discussion as an indicator of understanding. I will use this information to inform the pace of the rest of
my instruction, as well as how much content to cover.
● Summative: Students will complete an exit ticket at the end discussing what physical characteristics
are as well as specific examples of them in the United States. They may answer this question in any
way they feel they can best show their understanding, including, but not limited to, writing and
drawing pictures.

Lesson modified from Oakland Schools:

https://oaklandk12-
public.rubiconatlas.org/Atlas/Develop/UnitMap/View/Default?BackLink=1260378&UnitID=13483&YearID=2019&CurriculumMapI
D=111&SourceSiteID=2599